I can recollect
the voice inside me saying,
Be. You’re the sunshine.
The voice urging I was more
than what others expected,
what fit into their lives,
what made them comfortable.
I was more.
More than just a mirror held up to others.
More than a stale bread to complement the perfect pasta of their lives.
More than a partner to correct their typos.
More than the quiet one who sat in a corner
listening rapt to their conversations,
unable to contribute,
unable to be.
that voice is gone, leaving no echo.
maybe this is all I am.
maybe this is all I was ever going to be.
a reflection with no substance.
nothing on its own.
February 18, 2021